The present invention relates to faucets having pullout sprayheads and, more particularly, to improvements in the manner by which the sprayhead is coupled and/or uncoupled from the faucet body.
Faucets having sprayheads that pull out from the faucet body enable users to manipulate the sprayhead independent of the faucet body and to aim the water spray directly at a target, instead of requiring the user to place the target under the sprayhead. Such prior art faucets typically utilize locking bayonet connectors, or connectors comprising collars and snap fingers to produce a retaining force to couple the sprayhead to the faucet body. Unfortunately, some of these prior art connectors may degrade with use. Particularly in the case of connectors formed of collars and resilient snap fingers, the retaining force often decreases with continual use. Further, the retaining force of such prior art connectors may be too great for some users to overcome, in which case the user would find it difficult to uncouple the sprayhead from the holder.
Accordingly, there is a need for a faucet having a sprayhead with a durable coupling that enables users to easily couple and uncouple the sprayhead from its holder.
The present invention generally provides a faucet having an improved coupling for use in coupling and uncoupling a pullout sprayhead from the body of the faucet. In one illustrative embodiment, the faucet includes a faucet head, a faucet body and a magnetic coupling releasably coupling the faucet head to the faucet body. In one aspect of this embodiment, the magnetic coupling may include a magnet disposed on either one of the faucet head and the faucet body, and a magnetically attractive material disposed on the other of the faucet head and the faucet body. The magnetically attractive material may include iron, steel or mixture thereof. In addition, the magnet may have a magnetic field and the other of the faucet head and the faucet body may include an electromagnet. The electromagnet is switchable between an energized state and a de-energized state, wherein in the energized state the electromagnet exhibits an electromagnetic field oriented in a direction opposite the magnetic field of the magnet and thereby repels the faucet body from the faucet head.
In an alternative aspect of this embodiment, the magnetic coupling includes a head connector disposed on the faucet head and a body connector disposed on the faucet body. Each of the head connector and body connector includes a magnet. The magnet of each of the head connector and the body connector may include a single magnetic field oriented in the same direction such that the magnetic coupling exhibits a single mode attracting the head connector to the body connector. Alternatively, the magnet of each of the head connector and the body connector may include multiple magnetic fields. In this case, a number of the multiple magnetic fields are oriented in a first direction and the remaining of the multiple magnetic fields are arranged in a second direction. The second direction is substantially opposite the first direction such that, when the multiple magnetic fields of the head connector magnet are oriented in the same direction as the multiple magnetic fields of the body connector magnet, the magnetic coupling exhibits a first attracting mode and, when the multiple magnetic fields of the head connector magnet are oriented in a direction opposite the multiple magnetic fields of the body connector magnet, the magnetic coupling exhibits a second repelling mode.
In another illustrative embodiment, the faucet includes a faucet head, a faucet body and a magnetic coupling releasably coupling the faucet head to the faucet body. The magnetic coupling includes a head connector disposed on the faucet head and a body connector disposed on the faucet body. At least one of the head connector and the body connector has a first magnet and the other of the head connector and the body connector has a magnetically attractive member. The magnetically attractive member may be formed of steel, iron or a mixture thereof. The magnetically attractive member may include a second magnet having a second magnetic field oriented in the same direction as the magnetic field of the first magnet.
According to a further illustrative embodiment, a method of coupling and uncoupling a faucet head from a faucet body is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a head connector on the faucet head, providing a body connector on the faucet body, and generating a magnetic field attracting the head connector and the body connector, thereby coupling the faucet head to the faucet body.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.